Ryan Reynolds Will Be Detective Pikachu For A Live-Action Pokémon Movie

For over a year now there’s been a movie in the works that many people thought would never see the light of day – a live-action Pokemon movie bizarrely titled, Detective Pikachu. However, it’s moving ahead with Goosebumps director Rob Letterman at the helm, and The Get Down’s Justice Smith and Big Little Lies‘ Kathryn Newton already cast.

Now they’ve been joined by Ryan Reynolds, who will voice Detective Pikachu himself, and may also motion-capture the role. Not much is known about the plot, although THR reports that ‘The story is kicked into gear when Smith’s character’s father is kidnapped, forcing the teen to team up with Pikachu in order to find him. Newton will play a sassy journalist who helps them on their quest.’

It’s a bit of a surprise Reynolds is onboard as traditionally Pikachu has only been able to repeat its own name (and usually in a female Japanese voice), so the sudden need for the more verbose, and male, Canadian actor suggests changes are afoot. Dedicated Pokemon fans probably won’t like that, considering the controversy that arose when Pikachu spoke a few words of English in the latest animated film, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, which caused a mini-uproar.